“If you think that peace and happiness are somewhere else and you run after them, you will never arrive. It is only when you realize that peace and happiness are available here in the present moment that you will be able to relax. In daily life, there is so much to do and so little time. You may feel pressured to run all the time. Just stop! Touch the ground of the present moment deeply, and you will touch real peace and joy.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh.
To touch deeply is to feel with everything you have in that moment. To pull yourself into the now. When we touch the present moment deeply we are able to access the happiness that has been living within us all along.
Most of us spend a lot of time trying to find something outside of ourselves to bring out this happiness that lives within. Many don't know that the happiness, the joy, the fulfillment, we are all seeking is within us. They are available to us in the present moment anytime we pause, breathe deeply, and allow ourselves to be in the now. When we do this, we are truly and deeply touching the very core of what it is to be alive.
Mindfulness practice isn't about training yourself to sit for 7 hours in a formal sitting meditation. Mindfulness practice is about repairing that fractured connection to self, rekindling that self-love you may feel like you have lost. Mindfulness is the bridge between me and the world around me. It has been what connects it all together. When we take the time to sit mindfully, fully being present in the here and now, we are honoring our whole selves.
I would encourage you to stop, once a day, and touch the earth around you. Notice all the little birds chirping, the wind blowing the leaves and branches. Be immersed in the world you are existing in. Just for a few moments.
Breathing in, I am aware of my in-breath.
Breathing out, I am aware of my out-breath.
-Jess
Another wonderful read. I think way to often we miss the happiness, joy, contentment and so on because we assume it comes from what society says should make us that way or we are chasing happiness and contentment based on what we see around us. We see this so much as a result of social media. We get caught up in the illusion of what will make us happy based on what we see in a 30 second instagram reel or TikTok. We already posses everything we need to bring us the joy and happiness we desire.